


A Sweet Dream, or a Beautiful Nightmare

by Rai_Knightshade



Series: The Bradyverse [10]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: 4 + 1 fic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, PTSD, PTSD-related Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23032111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rai_Knightshade/pseuds/Rai_Knightshade
Summary: 4 times the Macgyver-Dalton's have to comfort each other after a stressful nightmare, and one time the Nightmare Patrol helps.
Relationships: Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016) & Original Female Character(s), Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016) & Original Male Character(s), Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016) & Original Female Character(s), Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016) & Original Male Character(s), Jack Dalton/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: The Bradyverse [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561579
Comments: 16
Kudos: 31





	A Sweet Dream, or a Beautiful Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Do you like nightmare hurt/comfort? Do you like snapshots into the Bradyverse, both before and after Brady shows up? Do you like children doing Shenanigans™ like creating a monster defense squad? Then this is the fic for you!! And it comes with art too!! So sit back and enjoy the comforting hugs and soft words of healing! (The art is linked at the top of the fic.)
> 
> Actual Story note: italics indicate words spoken in another language in this fic in particular, prevalent in Arista's section where she and Jack talk entirely in Spanish.
> 
> Actual Story note... 2!: Eli is pronounced Ellie when referring to Eliza. Why didn't I just write it as Ellie in the first place? Idk it just seemed right at the time and now I don't wanna change it.

Art for this fic: [4+1 Art](https://rai-knightshade-art.tumblr.com/post/611792350654726144/george-eads-appreciation-week-may-be-over-but-the)

* * *

1\. Mac

Mac was running through a cemetery. Where, he wasn't sure, couldn't stop long enough to find out, but it looked familiar, like he'd been there before. Why was he running? It felt like he'd been running for hours. He stopped next to a crematorium, confused. Then he heard a blood curdling scream and the answer came back to him.

Jack. Gotta save Jack. Jack's in trouble, gotta save Jack, Jack Jack Jack Jack Jack--

Mac leapt into the crematorium, running for the furnaces. "Jack! Jack I'm here! Where are you?!?!" All he got were screams as his answer. He searched desperately for his partner, for a way to save his lover, but everywhere he looked was just the word Jack, even as the screams continued and rose in pitch. "JACK?!"

Mac sat bolt upright in his bed, delirious and and shaky. Where was he? Where was Jack? Was he too late?! A hand settling on his shoulder startled him and he turned to elbow his attacker on reflex. The person next to him easily blocked his arm and took hold of it in a gentle but firm grip. The other hand moved up to his chin to hold it in place, and Mac's wild blue eyes finally met the worried brown ones of his partner.

"Mac? Hey, baby, calm down, it's just me. It was just a nightmare, love, whatever was there can't hurt you anymore," Jack whispered soothingly, his tone even and slow, like Mac was a skittish horse on his ranch.

Mac searched Jack's face for any trace of a lie, but he found none. As his senses came back to him, he collapsed, curling into Jack's chest as tears started pouring down his cheeks. "J-Jack, you were-- and I couldn't-- jACK--!"

"Shh! Shhhh, hey, it's ok, just let it out, we can talk about it in a minute, alright? Just let it out first." Jack ran his hand soothingly over the back of Mac's head as the man in his arms sobbed into his shoulder. A few tears of his own leaked out of Jack's eyes, and he nuzzled into Mac's blonde locks for a moment. This was an unfortunately common experience for them, though Jack thought it had been getting better since he'd returned from his mission 6 months before and finally told Mac how he felt. Maybe the nightmares hadn't disappeared as well as he'd thought.

It was several minutes before Mac's tears subsided into hiccups; even after, he stayed curled up against Jack's chest, letting the man hold him close until he finally pulled his face away. He looked up at Jack with red-rimmed eyes, expression still broken apart.

Jack looked at him softly, carding his fingers through Mac's hair as he spoke. "You wanna talk about it, hoss? Or do ya just want me to hold you for a while?" Mac looked down pensively for a moment, then met Jack's eyes again.

"...It was New Orleans again, back at the crematorium. I- I was searching for you, looking everywhere, but I couldn't find you. I could only hear your screams. I couldn't save you, and it was the worst feeling in the world." As he spoke, a few more tears slipped down his cheeks.

"Shhhh, shhhhh, hey, it's alright now Mac. We're out of New Orleans, never have to go back again if we don't wanna, and I'm fine. You saved me Mac, no matter what that nightmare tells you. You saved me like you always do, baby." Jack pulled his boyfriend closer and leaned back slowly, until Mac was curled up on his chest, head right over Jack's strong heart. "Hear that? That heartbeat there is proof that I'm here, and I'm safe, and so are you. Ya hear me, Mac?" Jack paused, so Mac nodded slowly.

"...I hear you. Just... Just hold me, please? Until the fear burns away?"

"A'course, love. Whatever you need."

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2\. Jack

Jack woke with a scream, thrashing in his sheets before he finally freed himself. His breathing was panicky, near hyperventilating as he tried to recenter himself. He rolled over and sat up, hanging his legs off the side of his bed as he placed his head in his hands. Tears rolled down his face, emotions still high from the hell his brain had put him through in his sleep.

He looked over at his side table, to where his phone sat untouched. He warred with himself over what he was about to do, before biting the bullet and reaching for the phone.

30 minutes later a knock sounded at the door. Jack answered it to find his boyfriend standing on the doorstep, a worried expression on his face. "Jack? I got your message, what's wrong?" Jack wordlessly shifted over so Mac could step inside. He did so, turning to watch as the Texan closed the door behind him and locked it. "Jack? You're worrying me, big guy, what's going through your head right now?"

Jack turned to face Mac, a broken expression on his face. He still didn't speak, just stepped forward and leaned his head on the blonde's shoulder, soaking it with silent tears. Mac immediately brought his arms up and pulled Jack in, surrounding him with comfort. "Hey, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to talk about it if it hurts too much, I'll still be here even if you don't." Mac turned and looked over his shoulder, calculating the quickest path to a seat and concluded that the bedroom would be his best bet, even though it was farther away, since Jack didn't own a couch. He turned back and murmured in his lover's ear, "why don't we move into your bedroom, hm? Get you sat down in my arms, it might be more comfortable." After a hesitant nod, Jack lifted his head back up and accepted Mac's gentle arms leading him forwards.

They ended up on a pile of beanbags and pillows on the floor rather than Jack's bed; Mac had suggested the bed but Jack's adamant head shake and the fearful look in his eyes ended that train of thought quickly. They each lay on their sides, facing each other, arms and legs tangled up in each other and in the pillows so that it was impossible to say where each man started and the other ended.

"Was it a nightmare?" Mac asked softly. Jack nodded slowly, avoiding Mac's eyes as he wiped a hand over his face. For the first time since Mac had arrived, he spoke.

"Yeah, sorry, I just-- it was a bad one, and I needed to see you; didn't mean to get all nonverbal on ya.."

Mac shook his head, a fierce look in his eyes. "No, Jack, you have nothing to be sorry for here. We're partners, in life and love as well as work; we're meant to work with each other and support each other, and if that means late night visits because the traumatic nightmares get too bad, then that's what it means. You'd do the same thing for me; in fact you have done the same thing in the past." Mac paused, running a hand over Jack's buzzed hair and through his short mohawk comfortingly. "I'm here for you, Jack, in whatever capacity you need me."

Brown eyes gazed into blue, and Jack inched forward until their foreheads met. "...Thank you, Angus. You don't... You don't know how much that means to me, t'hear you say that. And you're right, I'd do the exact same thing for you; it's just hard to extend myself the same courtesy."

Mac smiled wryly. "I know the feeling."

"Maybe we should make our joint resolution this year 'work on self deprecatin' tendencies', yeah?" Jack sighed, turned his head to look away for a moment, then looked back at Mac, a haunted look in his eyes. "It was about you, ya know."

"The nightmare?"

"Mm-hmm. It was like, a montage of all the times I almost lost ya, except every one was the version where I did lose you. And the last one was Vegas, where I watched like I was a ghost as that bastard shot you anyways, even though I was already dead. And there was nothing I could do..... I failed you, every time." As he spoke, fresh tears pricked his eyes before eventually spilling over.

Mac gently wiped the tears away, fingers lingering on Jack's cheek. "You didn't fail me though, Jack. Me being right here with you is proof of that. Maybe we came close a few times, but between the two of us we still made it out in one piece. More than once you pulled me out of the fire, literally; you saved me, and that's worth more than any what-if scenario your brain comes up with." 

Jack gazed at his boyfriend, emotions warring in his eyes. "And I'd do it again, nightmares be damned."

"I know you would, Jack. And I will always be here to help deal with the aftermath."

"You promise, Angus?"

"I promise."

Jack nodded in satisfaction, settling in Mac's embrace and placing a soft kiss on the other man's lips. "Would you... Would you stay the night, please?"

"Of course Jack." Mac paused, then looked at Jack with a vulnerable expression. "In fact... What would you say... To me never leaving? Or you never leaving, it doesn't- it doesn't actually matter which way it goes, just as long as we're together, you know? And I like my place but I'm not, like, super attached to it or anything, and I know you like your apartment but you're not in love with it, so I mean it wouldn't be the worst idea in the world, right?"

Mac's rambling was cut off by a finger on his lips. He met Jack's eyes and found hope alighting in them. "Mac... Angus, baby, are you suggestin' what I think you're suggestin'?"

Mac looked sheepish. "Uhm, if you think I'm suggesting that we, uh, we move in together... Then yeah, I guess I am. Is that... Something you might want? I know we've only been dating a year, but... We've been together a lot longer than that, really, and it just seems... Right, somehow, to take that next step now."

Jack sat up quickly, leaning over Mac with a soft grin on his face. "Of course that's something I want, baby. God, Mac, I wanted to move in like a week after we finally got together, but I thought that might be a little soon, even with 10 years of pining between the two of us. But if you want me to move in, I'd do it in a heartbeat. This place is nice, yeah, but it's just an apartment. You're my home, wherever you are is home too, and I'd love to make your house a home between the two of us, if that's somethin' you'd like too."

A slow, rather manic grin spread across Mac's face. "Yeah? Yeah! Let's... Let's do this! I'll start plans to clean my place and make room for your stuff tomorrow, if you want?"

"Yeah, let's start tomorrow! God, I can't believe this came out of a nightmare." Jack shook his head incredulously.

"Planning a life change does wonders to get your mind off those demons that plague it, I've found; figured this time we could go for a constructive change, rather than the deconstructive ones we've been going through the last few years, yeah?"

Jack looked sheepish, but smiled. "Yeah, I think you're right." He turned to face the bed for a minute, before turning back to Mac. "But first, let's try to get some sleep. I think I might be able to get some in, now, with you here; you keep the nightmares at bay most of the time, you know."

"All the more reason for us to move in together; you keep mine at bay too, and comfort me when they appear no matter what." Mac sat up, untangling himself from Jack's embrace and standing. He stretched out a hand, love shining in his eyes. "Let's go to bed; tomorrow we take the next step towards our life together." 

Jack took the offered hand, and let his boyfriend lead him up into bed, ready to finally get some rest and looking forward to the next chapter in his life.

(The next morning, a bomb shook the main buildings of Quantico Marine Corps Base, and nothing is the same after that.)

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3\. Brady

Mac woke suddenly, disoriented and confused on why he'd awoken. He rubbed his eyes but otherwise didn't move, listening for any noise or movement to clue him in on why he was awake. Beside him, Jack snored on, exhausted from the overnight trip he'd taken to Texas the day before to start construction on their new home.

Mac continued to listen quietly, and finally heard what most have woke him up: a distant whimper, punctuated by a short sob. Immediately Mac swung up and out of his bed, pausing to make sure Jack didn't wake up, before padding to the door and making his way outside his room.

Out in the hall with the door closed, the sounds were clearer, and he sighed softly before heading to the spare room, recently converted from a tinkering space to a child's bedroom. He gently opened the door to find the five year old that had upended his life just weeks before, laying on his side in his bed and sobbing quietly.

"Brady? Hey, can I come in?"

A quiet, shaky voice was his answer. "Yes, Daddy."

Mac took the invitation for what it was and carefully walked into the room, skillfully avoiding toys strewn across the floor to reach the small bed. He gingerly sat down on the edge of it, and leaned over to brush his hand through soft blonde curls, so much like his own. "Was it a nightmare again?" A nod. Just as he'd suspected. "The same one? Or a different one?"

Brady turned over to face his father, tears still streaming down his small cheeks. "The same one, Daddy; the one with the explosion, and not being able to find Mommy."

Mac's heart broke for what felt like the hundredth time since he'd been thrust into fatherhood in the worst way, and he motioned for Brady to come closer. Brady obliged, scrambling up and into the welcoming arms of his father, burrowing his face into the soft material of the band tee he'd worn to bed. "Hey, I'm here, Daddy's here now, alright? Whatever you need, Brady-baby, I'll try to give you."

Brady looked up at his dad. "Lots of cuddles and snuggles? Miss Carrie says that's what helps the most with the nightmares, at least, when I can't see her."

Mac smiled softly. "Of course, I'll get you all the snuggles and cuddles you need."

Brady nodded thoughtfully, placing his head back on Mac's shoulder to where his face was in the man's neck. "Thank you, Daddy."

"You're welcome, son."

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4\. Arista

Jack groaned as he made his way to the kitchen for a glass of water. His back had been acting up quite a bit over the past few days, and he wasn't fond of the insomnia the pain had given him. Luckily, he'd found that walking around for a bit seemed to help settle some of the nerves sending him pain signals, hence the trip for water.

He made his trip, drank his water and was preparing to head back into his room when he heard a noise from down the hall. He stopped, hand unconsciously reaching for a gun he wasn't wearing, listening breathlessly for the sound again. Eventually he heard it again: a soft cry of the word "no". Confused and alarmed, he made his way stealthily down the hall, until he stopped in front of the newest member of his family's room.

Arista had been thrust into their lives in one of the worst ways imaginable: orphaned by a car accident she'd been part of. Mac and Jack had scrambled to finish their foster home training and certifications, wanting her to stay in a familiar environment rather than chancing her in a notoriously broken system. Now, a month later, there had been quiet talks about making her a permanent fixture in their home. It had only been a month, but both men (and Jack especially) had become protective of the young girl, thinking of her less as their foster and more as their daughter.

It was this feeling of protectiveness that led Jack to softly knock on the door, and ask, "Arista? Are you alright in there, sweetheart?" He listened for an answer, but hearing none except for a small whimper, he made a decision. "Hey, I'm gonna open the door, alright? I just wanna check on you, then I'll leave." And with that forewarning, he gently turned the knob and opened the door.

Inside he found the room mostly undisturbed, save for the thrashing young girl in the bed. Her whimpers were growing in pitch, mixing with sobs and broken Spanish pleas for her parents. Jack's heart leapt into his throat, even as it cracked in half at the sight, and he rushed forward to comfort his daughter.

"Hey! Hey, Rissy, wake up, you're having a nightmare," he called, trying to wake her up. When her thrashing only continued, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She snapped her eyes open and sat bolt upright in her bed with a cry, shaking violently and whipping her head around as if she couldn't figure out where she was. Jack immediately let go and kneeled by the bed, hands raised in a non-threatening gesture and letting out a stream of soothing words in both English and Spanish, hoping to calm Arista down.

Eventually, her eyes landed on Jack, and she visibly relaxed somewhat, even as tears welled up in her eyes. " _ Papa Jack? _ " She asked in Spanish. " _ What are you doing here? _ "

" _ I heard you crying and came to investigate, _ " he replied in the same language, standing up. " _ Are you alright, young one? _ " Arista was still for a moment, eyes searching Jack's face, before she slowly shook her head no. " _ Would you like me to hold you? _ " An affirmative nod.

Jack slowly dropped his hands and moved to sit on the bed, bringing the young child in until she was curled up in his lap. " _ There we go, Papa's got you. Did you want to talk about it? _ " Arista shook her head no. " _ That's ok, you don't have to. We can just sit here like this for a while. _ "

Arista nodded and sat with Jack for a moment, letting him rock her softly back and forth. Eventually she looked up at him, a nervous question in her eyes. " _ Papa Jack, would you sing to me? _ "

Jack smiled softly down at her. " _ Of course, love. Any requests? _ "

" _...The pony song, please? _ "

" _ Alright. _ " Jack nodded, and shifted until he was leant against the headboard, relaxing into the bed. Once he was comfortable, he took a moment to breathe, then began to sing quietly.

"Hush a bye

Don't you cry

Go to sleep my little baby

When you wake

You shall have

All the pretty little ponies......"

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+1. Eliza

A cry over the baby monitor woke Mac out of a dead sleep. He sat up, wiping his eyes groggily, and swung his legs over the side of the bed, murmuring a quiet "I know, I know, I'm coming."

A rustle at his side alerted him to his husband's movements. "Wassat?"

"It's Eli, I've got her babe. Go back to sleep." He only received a grunt in reply, so he stood and made his way out of the bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him. Out in the hall, he could hear his youngest daughter's cries more clearly, and quickly made his way to her room.

Along the way he heard a door open. "Daddy? Why's Eli crying this time? I thought she was old enough to not need nighttime feedings now?"

Mac looked over to Arista, peeking her head out her own bedroom door and rubbing at her eyes. "She probably just had a nightmare, Rissy; I'll get her settled back in, you go back to sleep," he said kindly. His words seemed to have the opposite effect from what he'd wanted, however, as Arista suddenly perked up, more alert than ever. She darted back into her room, closing the door with a clack.

Mac was confused, but another cry from Eliza made him wave her behavior off as something to deal with later. He opened Eliza's door and quickly shut it behind himself, not wanting to disturb the rest of his family too much. He flicked on Eliza's dinosaur lamp and made his way to her toddler bed, where she was standing up and outright sobbing. When she saw him, she made grabby hands for him. "DADDYYYYY!!!"

"Oh, what's wrong Ellie-May? What's got you crying so loud, huh?" Mac asked in a sing-song tone, lifting the 2 year old into his arms. The little girl immediately clung to his neck, hiding her face in his neck.

"Monsters, Daddy! Monsters everywhere!!" She cried, shivering in fear. Mac bounced her gently, settling into the rocking chair Elizabeth had given to him and Jack as a wedding present.

"Monsters, huh? That IS scary. Good thing Daddy's here to hold you close and scare them off, then!" Eliza nodded into Mac's shoulder in agreement.

Just then, the bedroom door swung open. In walked Arista, decked out in cardboard armor and brandishing a foam sword from Brady's dress-up box; she dragged Brady himself in behind her, the boy still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes even as he was also decked out in cardboard. Arista walked to the middle of the room and stood at attention, Brady following suit a moment later.

"The Nightmare Patrol is on duty, Captain Eli! We're here to banish any invading monsters you've spotted for us! Just point us where we need to go, and we'll do the rest!" Arista punctuated her statement with a salute, which Brady repeated after a nudge.

Mac looked at his elder children, confused. Eli, however, had been startled out of her fear, and was looking at her siblings curiously, having pulled her face out of Mac's shoulder. "Banif the monsters?"

"Yup! Monsters are invisible to everyone unless they're pointed out, so you gotta tell us where they are; then we'll fight them for you!" Brady finally piped up, seeming a bit more awake now.

Mac... Was still very confused, but decided to play along. He looked at his youngest, a question in his eyes. "Well, Eli, where are the monsters? It seems Big Sis Rissy and Bubba Brady are gonna protect you from them tonight." Eliza clapped her hands excitedly, turning and pointing under the bed.

"There, Rissy! There monsters!" Arista dutifully ran to the bed, kneeling down and calling for the monster to show itself. While Arista was fighting that monster, Eliza pointed towards the closet. "And there Bubba! Coat monster!"

" _ En garde _ , you dastardly coat monster you!" Brady called, and disappeared into the closet, reappearing a moment later with Eliza's winter coat in his hand. "I got it! This coat monster won't bother you anymore, Eli!"

"Neither will the monster under the bed!" Arista said, crawling out from underneath it. "Where else, Captain Eli?"

The kids spent the next few minutes fighting the 'monsters' of Eli's nightmares. Each time the toddler would point to an area of her room, one of the 10 year olds would investigate and 'vanquish' the monster that lurked there. Mac watched with a smile, chuckling every now and then at a particularly ridiculous 'monster'.

Eventually, though, Eliza looked around the room but could find no more of her monsters. She threw up her hands and said, "Monsters all gone!! Thank you Rissy, thank you Bubba! Thank you, Daddy!"

The other two kids came up to the chair, weary grins on their faces. "You're welcome, Ellie-May! We're happy to help whenever you need us!" Brady saluted as he spoke, Arista mimicking him.

Mac chuckled. "Good to know the Nightmare Patrol is on duty whenever we need them! Now, I think it's time for little Patrollers and Captains to head back to bed, don't you?" The elder children nodded, while Eliza just clapped her hands. "Why don't you two give Eli a kiss goodnight, and then go wait for me in the hall so I can tuck you in too, yeah?"

"Sure, Daddy," Arista replied, coming up to the side of the chair where Eli was resting her head back against Mac's shoulder, a big yawn overtaking her face. "Night night, Eli. Mwah!" She gave her little sister a big kiss on the cheek, and received a giggle in response. Brady did the same with the top of Eliza's head, and both kids walked back out into the hall, letting their father put the littlest one to bed.

A few minutes later, Mac came out into the hall, closing the door behind him with a quiet click. He looked at both kids curiously, kneeling down so that he was closer to eye level with the both of them. He brought them in so each was tucked against a shoulder, his arms around them. "Now, that was a great idea to help Eliza with her nightmares; I'm really proud of you two for coming up with that and helping me out. But, I have to ask: why did you guys come up with this in the first place, hmm? It seems a little out of the blue, and it's clear you've been planning this for a while."

Arista was the one that replied. "We realized a couple months ago that... Our nightmares, they aren't really the same as other kids' nightmares, cause of the PTSD Dr. Carrie said we had. And that's ok, we've found ways to cope with them so they don't hurt as much. But then we realized... Eli's normal. She's gonna have normal nightmares about monsters and stuff. How are we gonna help her with those nightmares when the things in them aren't real, not like ours?"

Brady finished the thought. "We needed something make-believe to take on make-believe fears, and so the Nightmare Patrol was born: we'd fight Eli's monsters for her, make her laugh, and thus banish the nightmares too! You and Papa can do it too, if you want; although I don't think the armor we made will fit you..."

Mac was moved nearly to tears by what he'd heard. "Kids... I don't know what to say to that! I'm just... I'm so proud of you two, for this idea that you've come up with to help your baby sister with her nightmares, when you know they're different from yours. That's one of the kindest things you can do, ever, and you did it unprompted! I'd be happy to help you with this idea, and I'm sure your Papa would too. Oh, come here you two!" And with that Mac brought his kids in close, cuddling them against his body as much as he could. "I'm pretty sure this makes you two the best big siblings ever. Now, let's get to bed, okay? You two still have school in the morning, you know."

Both kids nodded in unison, even tucked against Mac. "Yes, Daddy."

Later, when Mac finally rejoined Jack back in bed, the other man was sitting up with the lamp on, waiting for him. "I heard the commotion and decided to listen in. What's a Nightmare Patrol, hoss?" Mac explained it, and was not surprised when Jack, with tears pricking his eyes, vowed to be inducted into the Nightmare Patrol the very next day. Mac agreed, and cuddled up next to his husband, content in the knowledge that, finally, all his kids were alright.


End file.
